Signaling system for railroads.



G. RANSON, Jn. SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

APFLIOATION FILED MAR. 11, 1910.

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COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO.,WASHINOTON. n. c.

UN TTED @TATES PATENT GFFTGE.

GEORGE RANSON, JR, or JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR. or ONE-FOURTH Tonuousrus E. SAWYER, or JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 19 12.

Application filed March 11, 1910. Serial No. 548,616.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon RANSON, Jr, a citizen of the United States,residing in Jacksonville, county of Duval, and State of Florida, haveinvented an Improvement in Signaling Systems for Railroads, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a signaling system for railroads and isespecially designed and adapted for use on single track rail roadscomprising a main line and one or more branches therefrom. 1

The invention has for its object to provide a signaling system withwhich the engineer is given a warning in case of an open or abnormalcondition of the track especially at the track switches, and further hasfor its object to provide a system, which can be installed andmaintained at a minimum expense, which enables single track roads to beprovided with means for safeguarding its patrons from head-on andrear-on collisions, and from accidents due to dangerous conditions ofthe track. To this end, I employ a normally open circuit system, whichincludes asignal device and source of current located in the cab of theengine, where it is under the supervision of the engineer, contact railslaid alongside the track rails of the main line and branch and locatedat a suitable distance from the track switch, contact shoes carried bythe locomotive and cooperating with said contact rails, and a circuitcontroller located in the vicinity of the section of the track switchand governing the circuit of thesignal mechanism after the circuit ofthe latter has been established by engagement of the contact shoes withthe contact rails as. will be described. The circuit controller is inopen circuit relation to the signal mechanism in the cab of thelocomotive when the contact shoes carried by the latter engage thecontact rails alongside oi": the track, under normal conditions,butunder abnormal conditions, as. for instance, if a track switch is setwrong, said circuit controller is brought into closed circuit relationwith the signaling mechanism in the cab and the latter is operated togive a signal or warning to the engineer of the abnormal condition ofthe track. The signal mechanism in the cab may be a visual or an audiblesignal or both, and the circuit controller may be located within aweather-tight box or casing. These and other features of this inventionwill be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 represents in diagrammatic view a portion of a single tracksteam railroad, provided with a signaling system embodying thisinvention. Fig. 2, a view like Fig. 1 with the track switch set toconnect the branch track with the main line. Fig. 3, a cross section ofthe railway track switch and the. circuit cont-roller operated by it,the section being taken on the line 3--3, Fig. 1 and Fig. 4, a detail inplan of one form of circuit controller.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4:, a, I), represent the rails of a single trackroad and 0, d, the rails of a branch track leading therefrom and adaptedto be connected therewith in the usual manner by a track switch of usualconstruction and comprising the rail sections 6, f, which are pivoted attheir rear ends as at r, h, and are connected at their front ends to amovable support or bar 6, which extends transversely of the main linetrack a, b, and is operated in the usual manner by a lever j connectedtherewith (see Fig. 3) or in any other suitable or usual manner.

The construction of the switch herein shown is and may be such as nowcommonly employed in steam railway tracks and constitutes no part of thepresent invention, which relates to a signal system by which theengineer on an engine, either on the main track a, Z), or on the branchtrack 0, cl, isnotified as to the condition of the road and, asrepresented in Fig. 1, of the track switch.

The signal system includes a set of contact rails 10, 12, laid alongsideof the rails c, d, of the branch track, and two sets of contact rails13, 1e, 15, 16, laid alongside ofthe rails a, b, of the main line trackon opposite sides of the track switch e, f.

The contact rails referred to, are located away from the track switchsuch a predetermined distance, say one-half a mile, as will enable theengineer to bring his train to a stop after receiving the warningsignal. The contact rails have cooperating with them contact shoes 20,21, of any suitable or desired construction, which are carrled by thelocomotive and are designed to en gage the upper surfaces of the contactrails, when the locomotive arrives atthe place where the contact railsare located.

The contact shoes 20, 21 are connected in circuit with preferably both avisual and an audible signal within the locomotive cab. The visualsignal is represented as an incandescent electric lamp 22, which may beprovided with a red globe, and the audible signal may be a bell 23,which is arranged in multiple with the lamp as herein shown andconnected with a storage or other battery 24 also carried by thelocomotive.

The operation of the signal mechanism within the locomotive cab isgoverned by a circuit controller, which as shown in Fig. 1 isoperatively connected with the movable track switch, and in the presentinstance I have illustrated one form of circuit controller and one wayin which it is operatively connected with the track switch, but it is tobe understood that I do not desire to limit the invention to theparticular construction or arrangement shown.

The circuit controller referred to is shown separately in Fig. 4 and isprovided with a movable member 25 represented as a piece of spring metalfastened at one 'end to one wall of an inclosing casing or box 26 withinwhich said circuit controller is located. The movable member 25cotiperates with two stationary members 27, 28 located on opposite sidesof said movable member and with one of which as 27 the movable member 25makes contact, as for instance when the track switch is closed to thebranch and is arranged to complete the main line track,

' which condition is represented in Fig. 1.

The movable member 25 is designed to be disengaged from the member 27and engaged with the member 28 when the track switch is thrown or movedso as to connect the branch track with the main line (see Fig. 2), andthis result may be accomplished as herein shown by means of a plunger orrod 30 extended through a side wall of the box 26 and adapted to beengaged by a projection 31 on the sliding support 2' for the switch railsections 6, f. When the track switch is thrown from the position shownin Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1, the plunger 30 may be moved outwardby the spring action of the movable member 25 or by a separate spring33.

v The members of the circuit controller operated by the movable portionof the track are electrically connected with the contact rails byconductors or wires, which 7 understood. The movable member 25 of thecircuit controller is connected by the wire 84 with the contact rail 12and by wires 35, 36,

to the contact rails 14, 16. The contact rail 10 is connected by thewire 37 to the sta tionary terminal or member 27 of the circuitcontroller, and the contact rails 13, 15 are connected by wires 38, 39with the stationary terminal or member 28.

I have herein shown three signal mechanisms connected with the threesets of contact rails, and let it be supposed that they represent threelocomotives. A, B, C, for the purpose of enabling the operation of thesignal system to be readily understood.

Referring to Fig. 1, let it be supposed that the locomotive A is runningon the main line in the direction indicated by the arrow 40. lVhen thelocomotive A approaches to within one half mile or other distancedetermined upon, from the branch track 0, (Z, the contact shoes 20, 21,carried by it engage the contact rails 13, 14, and if the track switchis in its proper position to close the branch track as represented inFig. 1, a signal will not be given, thereby indicating to the engineerthat the track switch is in its proper position. In this case, thecircuit of the' signal in the locomotive cab while closed betweenthecontact shoes 20, 21, and the contact-rails 13, 14, will be open betweenthe members 25, 28, of the circuit controller governed by the trackswitch. If, however, the track switch should be open so as to connectthe branch track with the main line, which condition is represented inFig. 2 the circuit of the signal mechanism on the locomotive A will beclosed between the members 25, 28, and the signal given. In the presentcase, the red lamp 22 would be illuminated and the bell 23 rung. Thiscircuit may be traced as follows :from battery 24 on locomotive A bywire 43 to contact shoe 20, thence by contact rail 13, wire 38 tostationary member 28 of circuit controller, thence by movable member 25and wire 35 to contact rail 14, thence by shoe 21, wires 44, 45, to bell23 and lamp 22, thence by wires 46, 47 back to battery 24. If thelocomotive B is running on the main line in the direction opposite tothat indicated by the arrow 40, no signal will be given to the engineerof locomotive B, if the track switch is closed as shown in Fig. 1,because the circuit of the signal mechanism in the cab of locomotive Bwhile closed between the shoes 20, 21 and contact rails 15, 16, is openbetween the members 25, 28 of the circuit controller operated by thetrack switch. If on the other hand, the track switch should be open asshown in Fig. 2, the circuit of the signal mechanism will be closed andthe signal given as soon as the contact shoes 20, 21 of locomotive Bengage the contact rails 15, 16. This circuit may be traced as followsfrom the battery 24, on locomotive B, by wire 43 and shoe 20 to contactrail 15,

thence by wires 39 38 to the stationary member 28 of circuit controller,thence by movable member 25 and wires 35, 36, to contact rail 16, thenceby shoe 21, and wires 44, 4L5 to bell 23 and lamp 22, and thence bywires 46, 47, back to the battery 24.

If the locomotive C on the branch track is approaching the main trackand the track switch is closed as represented in Fig. 1, the engineerwill receive warning by the illumination of the lamp 22 and the ringingof the bell 23 in the cab of his engine C, because the circuit of hissignal is closed between the members 25, 27, of the circuit controllergoverned by the track switch. This circuit may be traced as followsr--from battery 24 of locomotive C by wire 43 and shoe 2() to contact rail10, thence by wire 37 to stationary member 27 of circuit controller,thence by movable member 25 and wire 34 to contact rail 12, thence backto the battery 24 by shoe 21, wires 4114:, 4L5, lamp 22, bell 23 andwires 4-6, 47. If the track switch is open to the main line asrepresented in Fig. 2, no signal will be given, for the circuit of thesignal mechanism in this case is open between the members 25, 27 of thecircuit controller operated by the track switch. It will thus be seenthat when the track switch is closed to the branch track, thelocomotives on the main line can approach the track switch in eitherdirection and proceed with assurance of a safe condition of the track,as the signal mechanisms carried by them are not operated, whereas thesignal mechanism carried by the locomotive C on the branch track will beoperated and the engineer thereof notified of a dangerous condition ofthe track, namely, that the track switch is closed against him, whichnotification will be received in ample season for him to stop his trainand investigate the situation or change the switch, and when this isdone, the signal mechanism of the locomotives A, B, on the main linewill be operated as soon as the contact shoes on said locomotives engagetheir cooperating contact rails, thereby notifying them that the switchis open to the branch track.

In Fig. 1, it will be observed that the circuit controller operated bythe track section comprises practically two circuit controllers with acommon movable member, and while this construction may be preferred, itis not desired to limit the invention in this respect.

Claims: 1. The combination with a railway track contact rails arrangedalongside of the rails of the mainline on opposite sides of the trackswitch and alongside of the rails of the branch track, said contactrails being 10- cated at predetermined distances from said track switch,a circuit controller located in the vicinity of the track switch andprovided with a movable member electrically connected with one of thecont-act rails of each set of contact rails, a stationary memberelectrically connected with the other contact rail of the set on thebranch track and engaged by said movable member when the track switch isclosed, a second stationary member electrically connected with the othercontact rails of the main line sets and disengaged by said movablememher when the track switch is closed, means for operatively connectingsaid movable member with said track swith, and a signal mechanismcarried by a vehicle movable on the track and provided with contactdevices to engage the contact rails, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a railway track comprising a main line and abranch therefrom and with a track switch cooperating with said main lineand branch, of contact rails arranged alongside of the rails of the mainline on opposite sides of the track switch and alongside of the rails ofthe branch track, said.contact rails being located at predetern'iineddistances from said track switch, a circuit controller electricallyconnected with the contact 'rails of the branch track and closed whenthe track switch is closed, and a circuit controller electricallyconnected with the contact rails of the main line and open when thetrack switch is closed, means for operatively connecting the trackswitch with said circuit controllers, a signal mechanism carried by avehicle movable on the track, and contact devices carried by the saidvehicle cooperating with said contact rails and electrically connectedwith said signal mechanism, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE RANSON, JR.

Witnesses:

Aueus'rns E. SAWYER, EDWARD Gr. SVENSON.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

